I’ve read every single novel in the Dresden files by Jim Butcher. So far there’s 13  of them, plus a short story collection still unread on my Kindle. I’ll get around to it soon.

Changes, the 12th book about Harry Dresden, didn’t end well for Harry at all. So, I was looking forward to seeing what would happen next.

Title: Ghost Story
Author: Jim Butcher

Publisher: Roc
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 467
Originally published: 2012

Genre: Fantasy
The dice landed on: 5
Did I finish?: Yes
Do I like the cover?: Yes

When an unknown someone shoots him and leaves him to die, Harry Dresden hopes he might be heading to a better place. Unfortunately, being dead doesn’t make Harry’s life any easier.

 

Trapped between life and death, he learns that his friends are in serious trouble. Only by finding his murderer can he save his friends and move on—a feat which would be a lot easier if he had a body and access to his powers. Worse still are the malevolent shadows that roam Chicago, controlled by a dark entity that wants Harry to suffer even in death.

 

Now, the late Harry Dresden will have to pull off the ultimate trick without using any magic—or face an eternity as just another lost soul…

I like the Dresden Files, and Ghost story certainly haven’t changed that. Harry might be dead but that doesn’t stop him from interfering in the land of the living, and 6 months after his death things in Chicago are pretty bad and about to get worse.

Most of the familiar old cast is along for the ride, but there’s a few changes in who has the major parts. It’s fun to see new sides of both Waldo Butters and Mortimer Lindquist. There are also some new characters appearing and one of them I certainly hope to see more of in future books. I also hope that Murphy will get in a more prominent role than in this book. Harry care for people, and one of the things I like in the Dresden files is the way Jim Butcher really has me caring for all of the people Harry care for.

Being a ghost and not able to influence events the way he’s used to, gives Harry some time to reflect. We alreay know he had some hard times while growing up, but in this book we get to know a lot more of what happened when things came to a bad end between him and his mentor Justin DuMorne. He also has time to ponder over some of his actions in the previous books, and regret some of them. Harry has never been a “big picture” kind of guy, but maybe he’ll consider it a bit more after this book. We’ll see. He also gets to see some of how other people see him as they sometimes talk about him without knowing he’s there. That must be an eye opener for any ghost.

There’s plenty of action in Ghost Story, but maybe a little less than in many of the previous books. That’s fine by me.

When Dresden Files #14 “Cold Days” turn up, I’ll read that too.